Saving Lotte Sullivan | Collingwood/Carlton

105: Trent Returns

'Come on, Layla. Please'.

Laura Fasolo-Bianco tiredly yawned as she cuddled her grandson Oscar into her chest, gently rocking him back and forth, sitting on the couch at Lotte's. Formula bottles surrounded her, and the additional ever present swirling entropy of mess that Lotte's apartment usually included, really beginning to stress her out.

'She'll be okay. She has to be okay' she whispered, gently rocking Oscar back and forth, exhausted. She glanced over at her phone, which was sitting on the edge of the couch, and tiredly yawned again. No news. Just Alex wishing she was back at home and that Dannielle wasn't coping.

Daisy Dannielle. The child of many names.

A knock suddenly arrived at the door, and Laura jumped - nervously checking the time - 1:30am, she prayed it was just Nathan next door looking for something to do, but the knocking persisted. In a kind of fun, childish way - she wasn't sure who it could be, and didn't exactly want to open the door at night.

'For god sake' she mumbled, standing up and gingerly making her way through the labyrinth of baby items. She carefully turned the key in the door, and poked her head outside.

Nothing. The hallway was completely dark, and empty - and the fire escape and door in from the stairs were both locked.

'Very strange' she whispered, shrugging and locking the door again, sitting down on the couch with Oscar. The all too familiar smell of coffee began filling her nose - she wondered where it was coming from. She didn't drink coffee, Lotte didn't even have any coffee in the apartment - and there were no other obvious signs of life outside. No click or high pitched screech of a kettle, no doors slamming from delivery drivers - and anyway, the gate to the car port was locked.

Nathan Murphy, in the neighbouring apartment, however, was wide awake, and going mad.

'Can you hear that?' Beau McCreery asked, slightly stirring from where he slept on the air mattress on the floor, blanket half draped over his body. Nathan, watching TV, nodded.

'Yeah. Happens all the time at 1:30am and 6pm' he said quietly, a sad look across his face.

'Well, what the hell is it? It's annoying as hell' Beau complained, momentarily sitting up as he checked the time on his phone and rolled over. Nathan shrugged.

'It only happens here, and to Lotte's apartment. It used to drive Tyler and Zac mad. It only started after Jack died, we all noticed it. Zac and Tyler also noticed a very strong coffee smell around 5:30-6pm - however, neither of them ever had coffee and nobody else was in the complex at the time' Nathan explained, hoping Beau wouldn't think he was crazy.

Beau flopped down onto his back again, sighing. 'I miss Gin' he mumbled, staring at the roof, dimly illuminated by the news on the TV - AFL, from much earlier on in the evening.

'Yeah. I know. Me too. It's hard living here without him, in his apartment' Nathan said, placing his hands on the couch. Jack always used to sit next to him. Now he had the whole place to himself and didn't like it. Didn't know what to do with it.

'Do you think Darce will be okay? I mean, I didn't witness the attack but I heard Caitlin scream like she was the one being killed. Next thing Josh Daicos is running in, screaming there'd been an attack' Beau explained, recounting the events from yesterday morning - how lucky he'd been all because he'd quickly ducked into the kitchen and avoided Ella.

'I mean, yeah. I'm sure Darcy's fine. He's tough. Can't believe his own sister would try to kill him though, I mean - what the fuck? And also, who on earth let her in?' Nathan asked, flabbergasted. He already had so many questions about Ella. He had so many more now.